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Hollande, 57, and Trierweiler 47, met 15 years ago at a political rally and have been a couple for five years.

The socialist president has four children with his previous 'live-in lover' Segolene Royal, who he left after she lost her bid for the presidency to Nicolas Sarkozy in the last election five years ago.

Ms Trierweiler is said to be still so jealous of Ms Royal that she can not even bear to hear her name spoken.

Complicated: The socialist president Hollande (left) has four children with his previous 'live-in lover' Segolene Royal (right)

Until now both Mr Hollande and Ms Trierweiler have resisted calls to marry.

The president said recently: 'I'm not ruling anything out, but this is an issue that concerns only Valerie and me.

'I am not presenting myself to the French people during this campaign as part of a couple, but as a political personality offering his ideas.

'We may marry through choice, but not for questions of protocol.'

And Ms Trierweiler, a magazine journalist, has also told the French media they couple 'have no current plans to marry'.

Takeover: Carla Bruni, wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is the former First Lady

She said on her first day as the new First Lady today on May 6: 'I'm not so sure it will pose a diplomatic problem - though perhaps on a visit to the Pope.

'Frankly, it's not a subject that preoccupies me. This marriage issue is first and foremost a private matter for us.'

But she is said to have changed her mind after being repeatedly asked about her status by American journalist at the recent G8 summit in Washington DC.

She told French newspapers on her return: 'They kept asking if I was actually allowed to be there. What kind of era are we living in.'

But Closer magazine added: 'Her main priority now is uniting her destiny with that of the president of France.'

Nicolas Sarkozy faced the same problem five years ago after divorcing within months of taking office.

Saudi Arabia - where unmarried couples are not permitted to be alone together - asked him to not to bring his new girlfriend Carla Bruni on a visit there in January 2008.

Mr Sarkozy travelled alone and then married Bruni six weeks later - shortly before they shared a bedroom at Windsor Castle on a state visit to Britain.

French constitutional expert Christian Delporte said: 'The fact that Francois Hollande and Ms Trierweiler are not married may not bother the French. Here, public and private life are separate.

'But it is not the same in some other countries, where their relationship may be viewed as sinful.

'If they don't marry then the same thing could happen to him as to Mr Sarkozy, where whatever his private feelings, he gets married out of his obligation to better perform his duties to France.'

Le Figaro newspaper added: 'There are those close to Mr Hollande who are starting to advise him to do precisely this and do it within a few weeks, just to avoid any possible controversy on his trips overseas.'